BU Surveying How the Marathon Bombings Affected Children

Researchers are asking teachers and children in Watertown and Framingham only.

Boston University‚Äôs School of Education¬†researchers are surveying parents and teachers from Watertown and Framingham about how the¬†Boston Marathon bombings¬†and the lockdown¬†affected and continues to affect children. The two cities were chosen¬†because Watertown was where the shootout and manhunt¬†occurred¬†that left our city¬†paralyzed¬†for¬†the¬†day,¬†and Framingham, because it has a comparable socioeconomic climate, according to researchers.

For the teachers, researchers want to know if you have addressed the events in your classroom, the types of behaviors and reactions you observed among your students, and your own experiences with the events. The survey is expected, according to BU, to take about 15 minutes. Answers are confidential and the¬†instructions¬†say that if the question is too upsetting, you can skip over it. Teachers who answer the survey receive a $10¬†Amazon¬†gift card, which can be donated to the One Fund.

For parents, the questions are a bit different.¬†Questions include whether or not you or your child witnessed or were injured in the bombings, if you or your child knew victims of the event, what you and your child‚Äôs experiences were during the manhunt and lockdown, how you processed the events with your child, and how you and your child have been feeling since the event. If parents have more than one child, the survey is directed at your eldest child under 19-years-old. For this survey, which is estimated to take 60 minutes, the compensation is a $30 Amazon gift card, which like above, can be¬†donated¬†directly to the One Fund.